A letter to a teen feeling numb.......

 If you feel numb right now, like you’re just going through the motions, unable to feel happy but not quite "sad" enough to cry, I want you to know that numbness isn't nothing. It is actually a very loud signal from your body.

Here is the truth about that "hollow" feeling in 2025:

• It’s Your Body’s "Circuit Breaker": Numbness is often what happens when your nervous system has been under too much stress for too long. Just like a house flips a circuit breaker when there’s a power surge to prevent a fire, your brain shuts down your emotions when the "voltage" of your life, school, expectations, social pressure, becomes too high. You aren't "broken"; you are protected.

• The Cost of "Doomscrolling": In 2025, we are bombarded with more information in a day than our ancestors saw in a lifetime. Sometimes, the brain reaches its limit and just stops reacting. If you find yourself scrolling for hours feeling nothing, it’s because your "empathy battery" is drained.

                                      

• Rest vs. Numbness: There is a difference between resting and "checking out." Numbness often feels like you’re stuck in a loop. Real rest feels like you’re recharging. Don't punish yourself for not being "excited" about things right now; your system is just trying to find its baseline again.

• You Won't Stay Here: Numbness feels permanent because it deletes your memory of what "feeling" is like. But just like the tide goes out, it eventually comes back in. This is a season of your life, not the whole story.

A small step for today:
Don't try to force a big emotion. Instead, try to find one "sensory" thing. Wash your face with freezing cold water. Hold a hot cup of tea. Step outside and feel the wind on your skin. You don't need to feel "happy" yet; you just need to remind your body that it is still connected to the world.

You don't have to perform for anyone. You are allowed to be quiet until the color comes back.

I’m rooting for you!!!!!!!!!!!!